Up to 100 residents gathered to protest Grey Streets new trial layout in Gisborne. Video / Zita Campbell
A cycle-friendly street trial is causing tempers to flare in Gisborne, with protesters and a petition pushing for the district council to reverse changes to Grey St.
Cars tooted as they drove past around 100 Gisborne residents gathered to protest the Streets for People development on Grey St on Wednesday afternoon.
Among the many colourful placards, some signs read “Safety yeah right”, “Money wasting” and “It ain’t broke don’t touch it”.
After recent backlash, district councillors urged residents to “give Grey St a go“.
The one-year trial is set to start next week, once construction has finished.
It is being co-ordinated by volunteer organisation Tairāwhiti Adventure Trust, with the layout aimed at making the street more cycle- and pedestrian-friendly.
However, protesters have accused the council of not listening to ratepayers, and feel the street is too narrow and unsafe.
Protest organiser Trish Atkins, who owns We Train You on Childers Rd just around the corner, said it was a “Grey St trial ”.
“There’s nowhere for the cars to go if someone steps out from their car or pushes a pushchair out between cars.
“It’s a disaster waiting to happen,” she said.
The digital billboard above Business Applications on the corner of Grey St and Childers Rd supports those against the Streets for People Grey St trial. Screenshot / Zita Campbell
Protester Dennis Jenkins said elderly people could not get to the bus if it was raining, forcing them to walk at least half a block.
Grey St had gone from a nice wide street with plenty of parks to “nothing”, he said.
Parking has changed from angled parking to parallel parks, which has resulted in fewer parks for local business staff and customers.
Intercity NZ bus driver Wi Taare said the narrow layout had made it unsafe to let passengers off.
He had already accidentally knocked off a truck’s wing mirror due to the lack of space, he said.
“We’ve sent some emails to the council but no reply.”
The Grey St trial was initially set to cost $350,000, with the council paying just 10% of this cost and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi funding the rest.
However, the trial has now been estimated at $900,000 and the council is having to pay an extra $55,000 out of pocket.
Many local businesses have said they were never consulted about the new street design, with some saying it was hurting their business.
Council Journeys infrastructure manager Dave Hadfield said the council was asking for patience and understanding during this time.
“Once the project is completed and the road cones and signs removed, we will be conducting a thorough evaluation to assess its outcomes and benefits,” he said.
During a Sustainable Tairāwhiti meeting in May, Tairāwhiti Adventure Trust said it had completed public consultation on the affected businesses and Stoltz had said it was the first time they had let another organisation do their consultation.
“It’s the first time a community group, who has built the skate park and pump track and has done a lot of work for free, has taken this over, so there will definitely be lessons learned,” she said.
Hilton Webb, from The Tile and Heating Centre on Kahutia St, said he was not consulted about the layout until after the construction had started.
He sent a letter to the council saying he might have to close his business within three months if the layout stayed as it is, which meant six people would be made redundant.
People could no longer turn right from Grey St on to their road, which had caused a loss of traffic to their store, he said.
“And a lot of the parking from Grey St is now all out in front of my store, so my clients can’t come and pick up their tiles.”
Dale Coppin, who organised a petition against the road layout, said Gisborne was a city of drivers as it was geographically isolated.
Coppin said said she believed Tairāwhiti Adventure Trust was not to blame for the issues, and noted the great work they had done on other projects in the community.
